Three months into his seclusion, Lin Feng had settled into a comfortable routine.
Every morning, he'd wake at dawn and practice the Eternal Breath Scripture for ten hours (as he perceived it—outside, only one hour had passed). Then he'd tend to his spiritual tea plants, which had grown into healthy bushes that produced leaves with an aroma that would make immortals weep.
He'd eat a simple lunch, often with vegetables from the small garden he'd planted. The vegetables, watered with the divine spring, had become spirit vegetables capable of extending mortal lifespan by centuries, but Lin Feng just thought they tasted fresh.
Afternoons were for studying the alchemy knowledge the system provided, and evenings were for meditation while watching the sunset.
"Peaceful," he'd often say to himself. "This is exactly what I need."
[Day 90 of Seclusion Complete!]
[Current Cultivation: Ninth Level of Qi Refining]
[Total Seclusion Points: 1,450]
[Note: Host believes he is at the Fifth Level of Qi Refining. This misunderstanding helps maintain a cautious mindset. Good for Host's mental health!]
On this particular morning, as Lin Feng was watering his tea plants, he heard a strange sound near the peak's entrance.
"Cluck... cluck..."
He turned to see a small, bedraggled chicken pecking at the ground just outside his courtyard. The poor thing looked half-starved, its feathers dull and muddy.
"A chicken? How did you get up here?" Lin Feng knelt down, examining the bird. "You must have wandered up from one of the mortal villages. Poor thing, you look exhausted."
The chicken looked up at him with what could only be described as ancient, weary eyes.
[Warning! Spirit Beast Detected!]
[Species: Divine Phoenix (Juvenile, Sealed)]
[Danger Level: EXTREME]
[Recommendation: This beast is gravely injured and near death. Saving it may earn Host a powerful protector. However, the beast's enemies may be searching for it. Proceed with caution!]
Lin Feng frowned at the system message. "A spirit beast? But it just looks like a normal chicken to me. Maybe it has a tiny bit of spiritual energy?"
He looked at the pitiful creature again. Its eyes seemed to plead with him.
"Well, I can't just leave you to die. Come on, let's get you cleaned up and fed."
Lin Feng scooped up the chicken and brought it to the spiritual spring. He gently washed the mud from its feathers and gave it some of his spirit grain to eat—grain that, unknown to him, was now infused with enough spiritual energy to kill a normal mortal from overconsumption.
The chicken ate ravenously, and with each bite, its dull feathers began to shimmer. By the time it finished eating, faint red-and-gold patterns had begun to appear on its plumage.
"There we go! You're looking better already. You can stay here if you want. I could use the company." Lin Feng smiled, petting the bird's head.
The chicken—the Divine Phoenix—looked up at its savior with awe. It could sense the overwhelming power emanating from this place. The spring water alone contained enough primordial energy to heal its wounds completely. The grain it had just eaten was infused with Chaos energy. And this human... this human who treated it so casually...
The Phoenix could feel the terrifying cultivation base hidden within Lin Feng's body. To appear so weak on the surface, yet possess such unfathomable depth—this was a supreme expert who had transcended the need to show off his power!
The Phoenix made a decision. It would stay here and serve this master. Perhaps, under his guidance, it could break through to its next evolution.
"Cluck!" it declared, which in Phoenix language meant: I pledge my eternal loyalty!
Lin Feng just laughed. "I'll take that as a yes. Let's call you... Xiao Hong. Little Red. Because of those red patterns on your feathers."
The Div Phoenix, whose true name was Eternal Flame Sovereign, ancient ruler of the Fire domain, simply bowed its head in acceptance.
[Achievement Unlocked: First Companion Obtained!]
[Reward: Animal Husbandry Knowledge, Spirit Beast Den blueprint, 100 Seclusion Points]
[Note: Host's pet will grow stronger the longer it remains on Tranquil Peak. Recommend continuing to treat it well.]
"A spirit beast den? That's thoughtful of you, System!" Lin Feng immediately set about building a comfortable coop for Xiao Hong near the courtyard. He lined it with soft straw and placed a small bowl of spring water inside.
The "coop" was constructed from materials that appeared as the system provided them—wood that was actually Immortal Spirit Timber, straw that was Golden Sun Grass, and the bowl was carved from Eternal Jade.
To any cultivator, this "chicken coop" was a supreme treasure that could serve as a cultivation chamber for an immortal.
Xiao Hong stepped inside and nearly fainted from the overwhelming energy. This... this was a sacred cultivation space! The human had casually created a phoenix nest that surpassed even the legendary Divine Flame Palace!
Who exactly was this master?
"Comfortable, right? Now you rest up, Xiao Hong. I need to get back to my cultivation."
As Lin Feng walked away, the Phoenix watched him with reverence. Then it settled into the nest and began to cultivate seriously. If this master had taken it in, it would not disappoint him!
Within the "coop," the seals on the Phoenix's power began to crack.
That night, cultivators across the sect woke in cold sweats.
"Did you feel that?"
"A phoenix cry... but that's impossible. Divine Phoenixes haven't been seen in ten thousand years!"
In the Sect Master's hall, the elders gathered in an emergency session.
"The pressure came from somewhere in our sect's territory," the Grand Elder said gravely. "But I cannot pinpoint the location. It's as if... someone is deliberately hiding it."
"Should we investigate?"
"No," the Sect Master said quietly. "If a power capable of sheltering a Divine Phoenix exists within our territory, we should not disturb it. Instead, we should be grateful they've chosen to stay near us. It may be the sect's greatest fortune."
The elders nodded in agreement, never suspecting that the "great power" was simply their forgotten outer sect disciple, happily living in seclusion with his new pet chicken.
Lin Feng, unaware of the commotion, was brewing tea and reading an alchemy manual.
"Life is good, Xiao Hong," he said to the chicken, who was now roosting on a perch nearby. "Just you, me, and peaceful cultivation. No drama, no danger. This is exactly what I wanted."
The Phoenix, its power already restored to the Soul Formation realm after just one night in the nest, gazed at its master with devotion.
This master is truly unfathomable, it thought. To create such a cultivation paradise and call it 'peaceful.' To tame a Phoenix and treat it as a common chicken. His depth cannot be measured!
Lin Feng took a sip of his tea and smiled, completely content with his simple life.
The misunderstandings were only beginning.